The September 2023 Entrance Ceremony for new students at both Keio University's undergraduate faculties and graduate schools was held at the West School Building Hall on Mita Campus from 10:00 on Friday, September 22.
This academic year, a total of 307 new undergraduate and Japanese Language Program students were admitted in September: 126 at the Faculty of Economics; 1 at the Faculty of Law; 5 at the Faculty of Business and Commerce; 32 at the Faculty of Policy Management; 38 at the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies; and 105 in the Japanese Language Program. 272 students were admitted to Keio University's graduate schools. 186 will enter master’s programs, 65 will join doctoral programs, and 21 will enroll in a professional degree program.
The ceremony began with Vice-President Yoshimitsu Matsuura giving the Incoming Class Report. President Kohei Itoh then followed with the official Welcome Address in which he quoted from "The Mission of Keio University" and expressed how the university hopes to use education as a tool to foster its students to become world leaders who will be "sources of honorable character" and "paragons of intellect and morals for the entire nation." He also referenced The Three Eyes of Economics, an economics text authored by Motoshige Itoh, adding his personal interpretations of what it means to see things through "bird's eye," "worm's eye," and "fisheye," perspectives. President Itoh discussed his desire for all the incoming students to equip themselves with these tools through their studies at Keio University so that they can refine and build on their academic skills. Likewise, he expressed that he had great expectations for the students as they use their abilities in the future to overcome national boundaries, cooperate with people from all over the world, and contribute to the betterment of society as a whole.
Once President Itoh finished his speech, Professor Keiko Okawa, a graduate school committee member for the Graduate School of Media Design, gave a congratulatory address on behalf of Keio's faculty and staff members. This was followed by Yu Shimizu, a new student in the Faculty of Law, delivering a matriculation address on behalf of the incoming class. The ceremony concluded with a rendition of the Juku-ka, Keio University's alma mater, sung by the Wagner Society Male Chorus and the Wagner Society Female Chorus, student organizations at Keio.
After the ceremony, groups of the new Keio students could be seen smiling with their friends and taking pictures with their families across campus.
The ceremony was streamed online. You can view the archived video of the ceremony below:
https://youtu.be/VfR6wdIr4Eo